Great gig report @Frank77 I dig that G&L LB-100, I'd bet it sounded killer through that pjb rig!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Where are you from originally? I've heard a lot of people say similar things about Montreal. I sometimes find this city frustrating (what with the wishy-washy politics and, more recently, the endless roadwork) but, ultimately, I love it here and haven't been anywhere else that I would prefer to live.
By the way, it's very commendable that you were able to draw so many people for your Sala show. It's not easy to get people out these days - especially to see a band that plays largely original music. Looks like it was a fun night.
Montreal was actually a pretty big centre for disco, and there were quite a few disco records cut here in the '70s. There's a local band called Boogie Wonder Band that does the corporate events thing and they've always been successful, not just playing at local events but also playing in other parts of Canada and in the United States. For a lot of people disco seems to represent a sense of fun and zaniness; a scene where kitsch is okay and where you can let loose. And then there's the whole nostalgia element that seems to be big at the moment with baby boomers (disco-themed cruises and the like).Funny that your post came up Frank. Last night a drummer friend of mine told me he's needs a bass player for a band he's putting together which consist of a pro group of musicians with a 28 year old female front designed to play weddings and corporate events. They want to dress up and play "Dancing music". He set up an audition for me and gave me two songs to play. If I can play them he said, they will set up a full band audition. The songs are "I will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor and "Boogie Oogie" by a Taste of Honey. I know those numbers but told him that I didn't want to play that kind of music anymore because Disco was Dead but obviously not in Montreal.
Last edited:
This one is a little late, mostly because I thought I'd have more to offer in terms of media...but it turns out the video footage taken during that night is being used for a music video, so the whole thing will take a little longer to edit than I was willing to wait. So here's the "pictures only" version of our Halloween gig report.
We had done a lot of promo in the months leading to this Halloween party, and it worked out pretty good. We were a little stressed out because two weeks prior to the show, we had only sold 11 tickets (yikes!), but sales sort of exploded the week before the show, and a lot more bought tickets at the door. Total attendance was 167 people...not too shabby for a relatively unknown band playing mostly originals!
It was a Halloween party, with a twist: People were invited to take part in a "Soul Train" (like on the old TV show). We used bright red tape to make lines on the dance floor, and at various times during the show our band leader (and MC) would ring a bell to signal couples to start the soul train while we were playing. The dancers were filmed and this will be part of our music video. I didn't think people would participate...boy was I wrong. Some dancers were incredibly talented, there was so much going on at times that I had a hard time focusing on my job!
The venue is called "La Sala Rossa", it's a nice mid-sized venue (max capacity about 200-250, I'd say) with a cozy vibe. A few years ago, I was there to see Snarky Puppy and the Funky Knuckles, so I couldn't help but think to myself "That's it, you're playing a 'real' venue now!"
For the first time ever, we had an actual dressing room...with real wall hangers on a real wall! Also, chairs and a mini-fridge! Bonus: Planks.
Soundchecking.
My setup. I have never had so much room!
Crappy cell-phone shot from behind the curtain before starting our set. People are actually showing up...yay!
Sorry, no food pictures...but for the sake of accurate reporting, we ordered a ton of dumplings an hour before showtime from a spot just around the corner from the venue that our sax player, Marc, knew about. It was delish.
Our band leader/keyboardist/MC Fabien, with me in the background.
Our drummer Mike was a happy camper: His first gig with his brand new drum kit.
Our singer Alex was in great shape vocally and looked fantastic!
Now on to our world famous horn section, The Guilty Feet.
Clément on trombone (he always gets the coolest shots).
Marc and Olivier on sax and trumpet, respectively.
Our guitarist JD, in the center (we picked matching jackets).
Alex's brother Clerel (who has a band of his own) joined us on stage for our rendition of "Thriller".
In no particular order, some pics of our extremely fun crowd:
The dude in the grey suit pulled some amazing moves all night.
We even had some folks from Riverdale High.
It was an amazing night. Definitely the most fun I've ever had on a gig, the crowd was so energetic I couldn't believe it.
That's it! See you next time!
PS: Sorry for the super-long and annoying media file names, I had to download from our band's facebook page and didn't bother renaming.
Great thanks for sharing
Thanks for the kind words!
I'm originally from Shawinigan, but I have moved around a lot both within the province (Québec city, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières) and outside while I was in the army (short stints in Ontario and New Brunswick, and spent 5 years posted in Halifax).
We usually don't do the whole "dress up" part, exactly because we don't want to be another Boogie Wonder Band, and our sets usually have less covers, too: We did it only this one time because it was Halloween. JD and I actually would have preferred not to dress up disco (because it's been done a gazillion times), but the majority in the band insisted we all did so we played along. Initially I wanted to show up in a banana suit, but I had a fun night regardless rocking the Noel Redding look!
Alright, by popular demand, here is our video!
Please keep in mind:
If you feel so inclined, you can like us on facebook: Hyperstar
Or check out our website for three more tracks (my favorite of the bunch is "Warp Speed") and two more videos : Invalid Link Removed
We are currently saving up for a 6-song EP. I *think* my favorite tune (one that has a jazzy bass solo played with an octaver) is on the short list for this...That's one I'd like to share with you guys, obviously.
Thanks again for all the kind words, guys; and have a good weekend!
Please keep in mind:
- It was shot by a friend and edited by our band leader with a total budget of 0$
- This is one of our thumpiest, disco-est tracks (so yeah, it is simple and repetitive, but it gets people moving!)
If you feel so inclined, you can like us on facebook: Hyperstar
Or check out our website for three more tracks (my favorite of the bunch is "Warp Speed") and two more videos : Invalid Link Removed
We are currently saving up for a 6-song EP. I *think* my favorite tune (one that has a jazzy bass solo played with an octaver) is on the short list for this...That's one I'd like to share with you guys, obviously.
Thanks again for all the kind words, guys; and have a good weekend!
Last edited:
Alright, by popular demand, here is our video!
Please keep in mind:
- It was shot by a friend and edited by our band leader with a total budget of 0$
- This is one of our thumpiest, disco-est tracks (so yeah, it is simple and repetitive, but it gets people moving!)
If you feel so inclined, you can like us on facebook: Hyperstar
Or check out our website for three more tracks (my favorite of the bunch is "Warp Speed") and two more videos : Invalid Link Removed
We are currently saving up for a 6-song EP. I *think* my favorite tune (one that has a jazzy bass solo played with an octaver) is on the short list for this...That's one I'd like to share with you guys, obviously.
Thanks again for all the kind words, guys; and have a good weekend!
That was a ton of fun! I smiled through the whole thing. Really tight band. Awesome funky bass that sounded great through my subwoofer.
Alright, by popular demand, here is our video!
Please keep in mind:
- It was shot by a friend and edited by our band leader with a total budget of 0$
- This is one of our thumpiest, disco-est tracks (so yeah, it is simple and repetitive, but it gets people moving!)
If you feel so inclined, you can like us on facebook: Hyperstar
Or check out our website for three more tracks (my favorite of the bunch is "Warp Speed") and two more videos : Invalid Link Removed
We are currently saving up for a 6-song EP. I *think* my favorite tune (one that has a jazzy bass solo played with an octaver) is on the short list for this...That's one I'd like to share with you guys, obviously.
Thanks again for all the kind words, guys; and have a good weekend!
Only possible response.
Excellent band, nice tight sound, and probably the best-looking audience I've ever seen!
Your tunes on the website are also great, some seriously funky grooves there.
If I'm ever in Montreal, I'll be looking you guys up.
Bonne chance!
Thanks! I'm absolutely in love with my LB-100: Since I've had it, my other bass (also a G&L, L-2500) gets very little playtime. The PJB rig sounds gorgeous but for louder gigs like this, it must say it runs somewhat out of breath (even just as stage monitor)...not enough watts and not enough speaker surface. For lower volume upright gigs with a jazz trio or quartet though, it kills.
Latest posts
-
-
Uber Eats class action lawsuit alleges their priority delivery is a scam- Latest: The Golden Boy
-
-
-
